GrowSabzHow to grow chives in pots
Also called chive, onion chives · Allium schoenoprasum
چائیوز
- ☀️ Sunlight
- 4–6hours daily
- 💧 Water
- 0.3 Levery 3 days, 5 L pot
- 🌡️ Ideal temp
- 10–25°C
- 🪴 Min pot
- 5 L15 cm deep
- 🧺 Harvest
- 60–75days from sowing
- ⚖️ Yield
- 1 kgper 20 L pot
Chives keeps producing once it starts. First picking comes around day 60, and the plant then crops for roughly 180 more days — but only if you keep picking. Letting it run to flower is what ends the supply.
Short answer
Grow chives in a 5 litre container at least 15 cm deep, watering about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil every 3 days, and keep temperatures between 10 and 25 °C. First harvest comes 60–75 days after sowing.
Where to plant it
What size pot does chives need?
5 litres and 15 cm deep is the realistic minimum for a single plant. Pick a container below to see what changes.
| Container | Minimum size | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot | 5 L | 15 cm | Good drainage is key |
| Grow bag | 5 L | 15 cm | Allows good aeration |
| Open ground | — | 20 cm | Can spread if not contained |
| Raised bed | 10 L | 20 cm | Excellent for drainage and soil control |
Watering
How often should you water chives?
Every 3 days through the growing season, at about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil — every 2 days in hot weather, every 4 days when it turns cool. Water in the early morning. Bottom watering or gentle top watering works best.
Too little water
- wilting leaves
- yellowing tips
Too much water
- yellowing leaves
- soft base
- root rot
Avoid: waterlogging; letting soil dry out completely.
Climate
Can you grow chives where you live?
No hardiness zone needed — compare your actual temperatures against the plant's own limits.
| Ideal range | 10 – 25 °C |
|---|---|
| Survives | -10 – 30 °C |
| Germinates above | 10 °C — best at 18 °C, about 10 days |
| Flowers drop | above 28 °C, or below 5 °C |
| Sunlight | 4–8 hrs/day, best 6 |
| Frost | Low sensitivity |
The flower-drop thresholds matter more than the survival ones. A plant can be perfectly alive at 30 °C and still give you nothing.
How cold is too cold for chives? Check your temperaturesEnter your night low and day high — see if it survives, and if it will cropTimeline
Chives growing stages, day by day
Click any stage to see what's happening. Durations shift with temperature — a warm season runs roughly a quarter faster than a cool one.
Feeding
Fertiliser schedule for chives
Feed on the interval below, changing what you give as the plant shifts from making leaves to making fruit.
| Stage | What to use | Per 10 L | Every |
|---|
How to prepare each feed
Common mistakes
Why chives fails, and how to avoid it
- A container that is too small
Below 5 litres the root run is too shallow. The plant grows, flowers late, and drops whatever it sets because it cannot support the crop.
- Watering too lightly
A daily splash wets the top few centimetres and nothing else. Chives wants about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil — one deep soak beats three shallow ones.
- Ignoring the flower-drop threshold
Above 28 °C, or below 5 °C, flowers fall before setting. The plant can look perfectly healthy and still give you nothing — shade it through the hottest hours.
- Planting it beside Asparagus
Some gardeners report that chives can stunt the growth of asparagus.
Companions
What to plant with chives
Good neighbours
Chives help to repel the carrot rust fly, protecting carrot roots.
Deters common pests like aphids and spider mites, and some believe it improves tomato flavor.
Helps to deter aphids and can reduce the incidence of black spot disease on roses.
Planting chives around apple trees can help deter apple scab.
Chives can deter cabbage worms and aphids from brassica crops like cabbage and broccoli.
Keep apart from
Some gardeners report that chives can stunt the growth of asparagus.
Alliums, including chives, are sometimes thought to inhibit the growth of legumes like beans and peas.
Problems
Chives pests and diseases
Each lists the weather that brings it on, so you know when to start checking rather than reacting once it's established.
Onion Thrips humidity any · temp >20
Tiny, slender insects that feed on leaves, causing silvery streaks, stippling, and distorted growth. Severe infestations can weaken plants.
Onion Maggots humidity any · temp 10-25
Larvae tunnel into the base of the plant and roots, causing wilting, yellowing, and eventual plant death. More common in spring.
Rust humidity >70% · temp 15-25
Appears as small, orange-brown pustules (rust-colored spots) on the leaves, especially in humid conditions. Can reduce vigor.
Downy Mildew humidity >85% · temp 10-20
Pale green to yellow spots on leaves, often turning purplish-gray and fuzzy on the underside in cool, wet weather. Can cause leaf dieback.
White Rot humidity any · temp 10-20
Leaves yellow and wilt, often starting from the tips. A white, fluffy fungal growth appears at the base of the plant, leading to bulb rot.
Aphids humidity any · temp 15-25
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth and the undersides of leaves, sucking sap and causing distorted, yellowed foliage.
Harvest
When to harvest chives
First picking falls between day 60 and day 75, and the plant then keeps producing for about 180 days. Pick often — what you leave on the plant signals it to stop making more.
How to tell it's ready
- Leaves are 6-8 inches tall and vibrant green
How much to expect
Storing it: Wrap fresh chives in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, chop and freeze.
Questions
Chives: common questions
How long does chives take to grow?
About 60 days from sowing to the first harvest, with picking usually starting between day 60 and day 75. It then keeps producing for roughly 180 more days. Warm weather pulls that forward; cool weather pushes it back.
What size pot does chives need?
At least 5 litres and 15 cm deep for one plant. A raised bed wants 10 litres of soil and 20 cm of depth.
How often should I water chives?
About 600 ml per 10 litres of soil, every 3 days in normal weather — every 2 days when it is hot and every 4 days when cool. Water in the early morning.
What temperature does chives need?
It does best between 10 °C and 25 °C and survives from -10 °C to 30 °C. Seed needs soil above 10 °C to germinate, ideally around 18 °C.
Can I grow chives in winter?
It tolerates cold better than most, down to about -10 °C, so a sheltered spot or a cold frame will often carry it through.
How do I know when chives is ready to harvest?
Leaves are 6-8 inches tall and vibrant green. Once picked: wrap fresh chives in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. for longer storage, chop and freeze.
How much does one chives plant produce?
Roughly 1 kg from a 20 litre container, or about 2 kg in open ground. Larger containers give proportionally more, up to a point.